Hey guys, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and New Years! Along with everything else in between! Wow... I can't believe it... We did it! We finished the rewrite of volume one of... twenty five... God has cursed me for hubris and I don't think my work will ever be finished... One step at a time, one step at a time... Anyway, how is everyone doing? Hope you all have a good winter break!
Now I want to say thank you to all those who have read, followed, faved and reviewed. You guys keep me going! Speaking of... Onto the reviews!
Jehu: Thank you so much and I will do my best not to! Oh and the thing he gets from Azazel... Well wait and see!
Merendinoemiliano: I understand but glad you like it!
Ace: Here is the chapter! Now that is interesting... Maybe? I am not sure, she may. Though she would need to be introduced to it. Well, with this character you'll just need to wait and see! Riser has two older brothers, the one who will become the next family head, then the one who runs the television studios of the Underworld. Huh, did not know that about Koneko. I will need to check the wiki more often.
AdrianLee28: That means a lot! Thank you so much!
ILikeFoxes828: Thanks! I hope you continue to stick around!
Ssj shadow: Happy you enjoyed it! And I am glad you stuck around for the remake!
Now everyone I am going to take some time off before starting the next volume, but be on the lookout! Enjoy your holidays everyone! I will see you all in Volume 2!
(Third Person POV: Somewhere in the Underworld)
"Governor-general, I have those reports you wanted-Are you watching it again?" Shemhazai asks in an exasperated tone. The 'it' in question was the recent Rating Game match between the third son of the Phenex family and the only daughter of the Gremory clan. More specifically, Azazel was focused on the Sacred Gear users and the queen of the group.
"You of all people should know that once I get obsessed with something, I'm like a dog with a bone." Azazel comments, his eyes never leaving his screen; the fallen angel would rewind or fast forward the footage, then write something down on a yellow legal pad. "Twilight Healing, that little girl has gotten stronger, but she isn't as strong as she could be. Sword Birth… With the ability to create cursed blades, he seems to have great control, and his technique isn't bad either. The girl… Good, I'm sure he will be happy to hear she is well. Then the Boosted Gear… It's good to see him active again."
Confusion replaced the irritation the vice governor-general felt. As far as Shemhazai knew, the Red Dragon Emperor has only recently awakened. "Do you mean the dragon, sir?"
"You said you had reports for me?" Azazel asks, avoiding the question.
"Yes, I do." The silver-haired fallen angel hands the various papers to the Governor-General.
The Grigori leader finally pauses the recording, on a truly horrific scene, the burning of the Red Dragon Emperor's arm. "Thank you." Azazel scans the reports with a furrowed brow. "The BB's for the ASGs are faulty? Understandable… Now that is interesting. The one containing a cerberus… Its stability is forty percent higher… Could the magical energy of the creature be the reason? Shemhazai, I want this to be tested further."
"At once." Shemhazai bows and quickly calls the ASG lab.
"…. Onto the next report…Oh, it's a report from the Norse… Damn. That old bastard." Azazel slams the papers down in frustration. "He still refuses to meet, even after all these years. Not even Göndul can convince him to come to the table." This is extremely vexing. "At least until the Three Great Powers come to terms…" Pinching the bridge of his nose and leaning back, the fallen angel fought the urge to curse. "If only that idiot hadn't died…." Taking a moment to collect himself, Azazel went back to work, ignoring the letter from the Norse gods. Aside from the first two, the rest of his work was standard bureaucratic things. Which Azazel hated with a passion. But as the leader of the Grigori, Azazel had to live up to his responsibilities.
It also didn't help that his vice governor loomed over him like a vulture.
"Governor-general."
Startled, Azazel jumps a little at the voice. "I was lost in thought, not thinking ill of you." Azazel answers immediately.
"Clearly, sir." Shemhazai's tone indicated he didn't believe Azazel.
Azazel goes back to work with a huff, but not before his eyes linger on the image on the screen. "Shemhazai, how's your wife doing?"
"I… She is well, thank you, sir. She is going to the hospital for a checkup today." The vice governor was a bit taken back by the question.
A glint appears in Azazel's eyes. "Really? Which one?"
"The Leviathan Memorial Hospital in the Sitri territory. Her doctor is a friend and knows about our situation." The white-haired fallen angel explains, still not understanding this line of questioning. Yes, Azazel always took an interest in the lives of those around him. However, this was slightly out of the blue. "Are you trying to get out of work again, sir?"
"Not at all. In fact, I think I found something more important than approving Tamiel's budget." A Cheshire Cat grin forms on Azazel's face as the wheels in his head begin to turn. "Call Dohnaseek; I have a mission for him."
(Gremory Estate:)
"Annoying." Koneko grumbles as she takes a champagne glass from a waiter.
"We are under age Koneko, it wouldn't make sense for them to give us alcohol." Kiba chuckles mirthlessly. "Come on." The older teen politely pushes through the crowd of guests, with Koneko close on his heels. The knight and rook silently found a place to stand away from the group, neither feeling very sociable at the moment. However, their wish for solitude was interrupted. Standing before them is a burgundy haired devil with amber-colored eyes.
"Ah, Yuuto and Toujou, wonderful to see you again." Aeries Zepar greets the two with a smile.
Kiba bows his head respectively to the noble, his tone respectful but curt. "It's a pleasure Lady Zepar."
"Ditto." Koneko replies as she sips her drink.
"I can see that I am not wanted, so I'll keep this brief. I wished to congratulate you both. Despite the circumstances, you fought admirably, and you can take pride in that." The heiress to the Zepar family shakes her head. "Oh, you have my condolences about your fallen comrade. What Riser did was unacceptable." The rook and knight clenched their jaws so tightly, you could hear their teeth grinding. "I did not mean to bring up a sore subject, so I apologize."
"No need." Kiba says after centering himself. "But thank you."
Aeries crosses her arms. "Aside from him, two of your number are missing. Where is the Priestess of Thunder, and the bishop?"
"Akeno was greeting guests." Koneko scans the room, trying to locate the devil queen. "Asia is at the hospital with Magnus."
"Ah." Zepar nods as if confirming something. "Well, my pawn wanted to meet your bishop Asia. At least he'll get his wish now." Kiba and Koneko screw up their faces in confusion. "Oh. My pawn, he apparently knew Magnus as a human, so I let him go to see him. He also finds the bishop attractive."
The only knight and rook of Rias Gremory stare at one, wondering who her pawn was.
(Leviathan Memorial Hospital:)
"Oh, thank you for your help." Asia says, taking the hand of the brown-haired boy.
"No problem." He answers with a friendly smile, helping her stand. "You shouldn't run when carrying that much stuff."
Asia nods as she picks up the large bundle of clothing. "I know, but I am in a hurry."
"Oh, well, I won't keep you."
"Thank you… Oh, I am sorry. I should introduce myself. I'm Asia Argento."
The boy nods. "Nice to meet you, Argento-san. I'm-"
"-Excuse me, sir, but I need you to finish signing in." A nurse interrupts the teens holding out a clipboard.
(Gremory Estate, Rias Gremory:)
"My lady, I need you to turn this way."
"Of course." Rias adheres to the request of the servant, doing her best to not look at her appearance. Even though this was only an engagement party, Riser insisted that Rias wear a wedding gown. It was Riser's way of not only cementing his victory against the Gremory group but rubbing salt in their wounds.
"Please lift your arm."
With a long-suffering sigh, Rias dismisses the maids fussing over her. "Give me some time alone, please?" The women bow and quickly leave the dressing room. As they shut the door, the heiress to the Gremory clan clenches her fist, worry marring her features. Worry for her peerage, or more specifically, one member in particular. "It's my fault he fought so hard…" That… Sweet idiot… He fought so hard…
'I couldn't care what your last name is, Rias to me, you're not the heiress of Gremory.'
'I can't even tell you how much I care about you.'
Rias slams her fist against the full-length mirror. "…"
'That boy… Magnus. You like him, right?'
'I don't know what's going on, but I'll help you.'
"You shouldn't frown; you'll get wrinkles."
Shaken from her thoughts, Rias looks away from the mirror and quickly schools her features. "Akeno? What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you." The black-haired girl moves to stand by her best friend.
"Thank you, Akeno, that means a lot, but I'm fine." Rias brushes a strand of hair away from her face. "Is that a Kurotomesode?"
Akeno looks over her clothing with a small smile. "Yes, but don't change the subject. How are you?"
"Worried."
As if reading her mind, Akeno shakes her head. "Don't be; he's under the best care possible."
"That's not what I'm worried about; I'm afraid that he will try and come here." Rias folds her arms together. "Magnus's injuries were so bad Akeno, and if he tried to come… He would only get himself-"
"He won't come." Akeno interrupts her master with a dark expression. "They never come back. When you need them most or even want them to come, they never do."
Rias knew Akeno had a reason for talking like this, but she was wrong. "He did for Asia."
Akeno didn't say anything for a few minutes. Magnus did indeed show up to rescue Asia. That… It was surprising to the devil queen. "I… Yes. He did. But he won't come now." Even as she said it, the words sounded hollow, lacking the conviction they previously possessed. Akeno needed Magnus not to show up, otherwise… A lot of her personal beliefs would come into question.
"I hope he doesn't for his sake." Rias stares at her feet, morosely.
The two best friends didn't say anything after that, so Akeno helped Rias finish getting ready. Eventually, Akeno left to join the rest of the peerage members in the ballroom. Akeno soon found them after speaking to a waiter. The other two members of Rias's household were standing away from the crowds. Koneko, with her back against the wall, Kiba right next to her, talking with Rias's cousin, the next head of the Bael family. Sairaorg.
"-You both did extremely well for your first time. My cousin has picked her servants well."
"Thank you." Koneko takes a sip from her champagne glass.
Kiba bows his head with a small smile. "You do us a great honor Lord Sairaorg."
"Credit is due, where it is due." The more enormous devil smiles as he turns to look at Akeno. "Ah, you must be my cousin's Queen."
The half-fallen angel bows. "Yes, I am Himejima Akeno. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lord."
Sairaorg nods in Akeno's direction. "You as well. Your fight against the Bomb Queen was impressive."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Waving off the thanks, the muscular man looks around. "I wish I could stay and talk longer, but my Queen needs me. Have a good evening, you three." Turning on his heel, the noble devil disappears into the crowd of people.
"How is the president?" Kiba asks, focusing on Akeno.
"As well as can be excepted, she is worried about… Magnus." The Priestess of Thunder mumbles the name of the bronze-haired teen.
"Who wouldn't? He may end up losing his left arm." Kiba shoots a glare toward Riser Phenex's peerage, who stood not far from them, talking with the guests.
Koneko's yellow eyes burned as she follows Kiba's gaze. "The stupid birds wouldn't even provide a tear to help heal him."
"That is troubling." Akeno shakes her head in sympathy for her fellow devil.
"… Yes, my older brother won himself a bride by facing down the Gremory's." Nearby Ravel Phenex was discussing the match some another group of nobles. "Yes, the match was as close as it appeared. They were quite skilled for first-timers."
Kiba listening to this, raises an eyebrow. "At least she is honest."
"Yes, quite honestly, I'm surprised she didn't turn out more like her brother." Joining the trio is Sona Sitri. "The outcome notwithstanding, I thought it was a good match. Though I wouldn't have complained if the end result had been different."
"Thank you for your support." Akeno bows.
Kiba shrugs with a smile. "This thing is far from over; we'll get another shot."
"Yeah, screw those douchebags." Koneko takes a sip from her drink.
Sona and Akeno stared at the two in confusion; they didn't quite understand what the knight and rook were talking about. Before they could question their fellow students, a pillar of fire appears from the back of the ballroom. Emerging from the flames is Riser.
"Greetings renowned devils of the Underworld. On behalf of the House of Phenex, Riser would like to thank each and every one of you for coming today." Riser spreads his arms out wide, welcoming the people in the room. "This is a historic moment for the world of devils, and I want our dear guests to be the first to know. To great dynasties are about to become one, Lord Riser of the distinguished House of Phenex shall wed Lady Rias of the Illustrious House of Gremory." Riser turns to the side with a large grin on his face. "And now I present to you, my bride-" A large magical circle appears, and appearing in a flash of crimson is-"Rias Gremory."
BANG!
Every single eye in the ballroom turns toward the noise, a guard wearing the uniform of the house of Phenex slams into the ground. Standing in the doorway are three figures, two men and one woman. The group's female is blonde and dressed in a teal nun-like outfit; in her hands is a silver war hammer. The first man is taller than the girl; he has short spikey brown hair with two short locks sticking out from behind his head. He is wearing blue jeans, sneakers, a red t-shirt, and a black jacket. His right arm is covered by a faded marron bracer, and in his hand is a glowing double-edged straight sword.
The last one is much taller than the others and has wild and spiky bronze-hair. He has on a worn-out green t-shirt, dark navy blue cargo pants, gray and red sneakers, and a faded maroon/crimson leather coat that went down just above his knees. The sleeves of the coat are folded up to the elbow. The man's left arm is wrapped in gauze and held against his chest in a sling. Strapped to his back is a large single edge sword.
"Magnus… Asia…" Rias's jaw drops open in shock…. What is going on…? And who is that other boy with them?
The bronze-haired idiot pulls out a gun from within his jacket and aims it at Riser. "Round two."
That is when all hell broke loose.
(First Person POV: Magnus, several hours earlier. Leviathan Memorial Hospital)
Why is there, beeping? I slowly open my eyes in confusion. I'm in a dimly lit room, there is an odd beeping sound coming from somewhere close. I feel… Off. Sluggish… "Where am I?"
"Leviathan Memorial Hospital, in the Sitri territory of the Underworld." A voice answers.
"Grayfia?" I turn to the voice in shock. "What… I… How did I get here?" I ask the maid in confusion. "Better yet… What happened?"
The Strongest Queen bows her head. "I am sorry to inform you, but Lady Rias surrendered the match to Lord Riser. If she hadn't, Lord Riser would have killed you."
'It's okay, I'm fine. You did your best, thank you, Magnus.'
'It's all your fault.'
An image of Rias appears before me, her eyes filled with tears. "I failed her… If I hadn't been stupid and just-" I grit my teeth as I try to sit up, why can't I feel my left arm?
"Do not strain yourself." Grayfia gently pushes me down, her tone soft but stern. "Despite the doctor's and Miss Argento's aid, you are still too injured to move."
"I… Right. Wait, Asia is here?" I look around the room, but I didn't see the blonde bishop anywhere.
"Lady Rias instructed her to come with you and help the doctors, but she has overexerted herself, so she is currently resting."
Oh. "What about-"
"The others are currently with your master, attending the engagement party. Which officially should begin in the next five hours."
'… I understand that history is not my favor, and the idea of love may remain a dream, but it's one I would like to keep.'
'It's your fault.'
My body begins to shake angrily. "I-"
'Stive to become the mightiest pawn, I have faith in your ability to achieve this. Make it an order, my dear servant.'
'It's your fault.'
"It isn't your fault." Grayfia says, shocking me out of my stupor. "Rias is abiding by the decision made by the Gremory household. She made a choice to fight this battle. And she choose to give up."
I snort angrily and glare at the older devil. "She doesn't deserve this, and you know it, Grayfia. If I have to… I'll…"
"What will you do to see that Rias gets her choice?" Grayfia asks, one delicate eyebrow raised. "What will you do to defy the will of the noble houses of the Underworld?"
An intense fire ignites somewhere within me at that question, causing my blood to boil. "I'll burn the Underworld to the ground."
The room was silent for several tense seconds. Finally, Grayfia's neutral expression broke, and she smiled. "You truly are a fascinating young man. You are a kind soul, always willing to give of yourself. Even if it means you will suffer, nothing will stop you when your mind is made up. And I am not alone, in my opinion." The maid pulls a piece of paper from her apron and hands it to me. "Sirzechs feels the same."
I take the paper and look it over. "A teleportation circle, on both sides?"
"My lord has a message for you. 'If you want my sister back, you must be prepared to fight.' If you decide to rescue her, this is your only option." Grayfia explains as she walks toward the door. "May I offer you a piece of advice, Magnus?" I nod at the silver-haired woman, still in shock. "Devise a plan; you cannot hope to win on guts alone. If you let your blood boil and anger control you, you'll not only lose, but you'll also die." Without another word, Grayfia leaves the room.
"Hells Bells…" I mutter as my jaw drops. "The Devil King… Grayfia…"
"You may want to pick your jaw up off the floor."
I shake my head and focus on the dragon. "R-Right… Wait Ddraig? Good to hear your voice."
"And you as well, partner, have to admit you had me worried."
"Sorry about that, Ddraig, but we can catch up later. We have-"
"I know, I was listening the entire time. However, there is a problem, kid."
"Aside from the fact I have less than five hours to make a plan to rescue Rias from an unwanted marriage?"
"Look at your left arm."
"What in the-Oh." The entirety of my left arm is bound tightly to my chest in medical gauze. "Well… At least this explains why I can't feel my arm."
"Your arm is in bad shape, even with the help of Twilight Healing, your arm at the moment is pretty useless."
"I… Why didn't the doctors amputate? If my arm is bad as that…"
"You wouldn't let them." Standing in the doorway to my room is Asia; before I could say anything, the former nun runs into the room and tackles me onto the bed.
"Oof!" A pained groan passes through my lips. "I… Asia…?"
The blonde buried her face into my chest; her body shuddered as she sobbed. "I'm sorry… It's just… I was so worried… The doctors didn't know when you were going to wake up again…" Asia clung to me like her life depended upon it. "I was scared…"
I… I couldn't say anything; all I could do was awkwardly hug the girl. I was in a similar state the night Asia became a devil, only now our positions are reversed. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay… You're alive… That's all that matters." Asia shakes her head and pushes her face further into my chest.
With a small smile, I gently rub her back. However, that smile soon disappeared. "Asia, what did you mean I wouldn't let the doctors amputate?"
It took several minutes before Asia pulls away, wiping her eyes; Asia moves to sit on the bed. "Um… Well, when you were brought in…. They were going to but, in… In your delirious state, you refused. You kept claiming you couldn't lose him… The doctors didn't understand, but I told them about your Sacred Gear… So… They are working on a way to fix your arm, but… It hasn't been easy. Even with my Sacred Gear, they said it could take months for it to heal properly."
It didn't take a genius to figure out how Asia felt. "Hey, it's because of you that I didn't lose my arm completely. Thank you, Asia."
The blonde leans against my shoulder and lowers her gaze. "I… I didn't do much… If my power was stronger, I could have healed you fully."
"You'll get there." I tell her as I rest my head on hers; we stayed this way for the next few minutes. Eventually, I lift my head with a furrowed brow, as much as I would like to relax. I had a job to do, and it wouldn't get done with me sitting here. "Asia, I am going to need your help with something."
The bishop looks up with a determined gaze. "What can I do?"
"Help me find some clothes and food."
"I understand the food, but why clothes?" She asks in confusion.
"I'm going to get Rias."
The girl gasps with wide eyes. "A-Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"Not really, but she would do the same for us."
Asia nods and stands up. "Then… I'll come with you; you'll need help." I open my mouth to argue with her, but I realized she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "You stay here; I'll tell the doctors your awake and hungry." With that, the blonde girl leaves the room.
"Ddraig, I have a question…" Before I could fully voice my question, the dragon speaks up.
"I can convert your arm into that of a dragon, but that won't heal it fully. In fact, it may make things worse. Dragons are beings of pure power; by converting your arm, it will heal somewhat. Making it useable for a time, but the overflow of power and energy could just put you back in a similar state. Or worse."
"I… I… See…" So, when he changed my lungs, I got a huge boost, but whatever damage that had healed was undone by the conversion. I stare at my left arm in thought for a few minutes, wondering what I should. "Understood, I'll just have to be smart, don't change it just yet, let's wait-Oh that was fast, Asia… You're not Asia."
Walking into the room is an older man, with slicked-back dark hair, dressed in blue scrubs and a white lab coat. "I'm afraid not. My name is Doctor Buer."
"Oh, I guess you have been treating me then?" I ask as the man nods.
"Yes, and I have, and since you're awake, please come with me-." The doctor stands aside as a nurse walks into the room with a wheelchair. "-We'll get started on your treatment."
That is kind of fast. "You have one figured out already?" Moving to sit in the wheelchair with a grunt, the nurse wheels me out. "Oh, wait, I need to let Asia know-"
The doctor puts his hands behind his back. "Your friend has already been informed; by the time you're done, you'll see her again."
"Alright…" Leaning back in the chair, I began to think over what I had to do. I needed to get Rias, but it won't be that simple. Grayfia was right, I need not only a plan, but I can't get by on guts and anger…. Not like in the past. Every major fight I've had since I became a devil has relied on those two factors. And even when I plan ahead, like the Rating Game, I just fell back on my trademarks when things went to pot. If I want to help Rias and not fail… I need not only plan, but think, and I mean really think when I fight. First things first, I should list what assets I have…
I have the Boosted Gear.
…. Okay, small list.
Possible allies are next…
Asia, Koneko, Kiba, Akeno, and I'll always have Ddraig with me, but he can't take physical form and fight. So… I guess he doesn't count?
Watch it, kid.
Sorry, partner… You do count. Anyway, list of enemies… Too many to measure at the moment and things standing in my way? Second verse same as the first. At the end of the day, I have barely any assets, a small list of allies, and obstacles and enemies all around. It would take a miracle if I wanted to get Rias back.
"I'll take it from here, nurse, thank you." Huh? I look up to see a set of open double doors. "Are you ready, Mr. Maverick?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, doc." I shrug my right shoulder as I am pushed through the doors and into a spacious dark office. There I am greeted with a familiar and unwelcome face, one I never thought I would ever see again.
"We just keep running into one another, don't we kid?" Dohnaseek says as we lock eyes.
I nearly jumped out of my chair at the sight of the fallen angel, but my doctor kept a tight grip on my shoulder. "So my treatment is death? Here I thought I was a dragon, not a horse."
"Now relax, Mister Maverick, and keep your voice down." Doctor Buer shuts the door to the office quickly and presses his palm against the wood. A bright light pulses from the older man's hand and he turns to the fallen angel. "You aren't going to be killed; just give Dohnaseek a chance to explain why he is here."
I stare at the doctor as confusion, fear, anger, and various other emotions play across my face. Taking in a breath, I do my best to push my feelings down. "Fine. What do you want, Dohnaseek? Better yet, how are you alive? I thought Rias and Akeno dealt with you and the other two fallen angels."
Dohnaseek chuckles misrely. "It's quite simple, kid, you see this is what happened-"
(Flashback:)
"Ugh… Takedown this stupid barrier!" The blonde fallen angel shouts in annoyance.
Rias simply rolls her eyes at the demand. "And let you go and help you, your friends at the church? No, I don't think so." Ever since Akeno set up the barrier, the fallen angels and the stray exorcists tried their best to escape and go after the others. Luckily, the two devils were able to keep them here. "Akeno, how are things on your end?"
"They're fine, though a little boring. None of them are lasting very long." Akeno sighs in disappointment as she releases another blast of lightning at the stray exorcists.
"That girl is messed up." Mittelt shakes her head in disgust.
"Tell me, something devil, what do you plan to accomplish by keeping us here?" The blue-haired fallen angel asks. "Those three you sent off will die, especially the bronze-haired one."
Mittelt laughs nastily. "Yeah, who knew his Sacred Gear was so pitiful? Our former bosses thought he could be an asset or a threat, but it turns out he is just dead weight."
A massive explosion erupts from Rias as an aura of destruction surrounds her. "You dare mock my precious servants?"
"Uh, oh." Akeno's eyes widen. "Now you have done it."
Fear fills the eyes of the two female fallen angels as Rias advances toward them. "You think he is dead weight? Magnus possesses the potential to be the strongest pawn." Before the Gremory heiress could attack, the male fallen angel made a move.
Dohnaseek, with a swiftness that belayed his age, pressed his hands against the heads of his female counterparts. And with a wave of magical force, the fedora wearing fallen angel knocks the women out. "Forgive me, Lady Gremory, but I can't let you kill them." Keeping both women from falling, Dohnaseek bows his head in respect. "My superiors have questions for them."
Rias warily watched the fallen angel, her anger never dissipating. "Why should I believe that?"
Dohnaseek shrugs casually. "I could have killed your pawn when we first met, but I didn't, and unlike them-" He motions to his unconscious compatriots, and the last of the stray priests that fell to another bolt of lightning. "-I did not attack you or mock your servant."
"I don't trust you." The ground beneath Rias's feet begins to crumble away from the overflow of her power. "Akeno, drop the barrier. I'm heading to the church, and if he tries anything… End him."
(End of flashback:)
"And as you can see, I'm still alive."
I stare at the fallen angel, still confused. "Yeah, I can see that, but why are you here?"
Dohnaseek places his hands into his coat pockets with a shrug. "I am here because of my superior; the governor-general owes the Gremory group a debt for helping us deal with our traitors. And the Grigori intends to pay you back in full."
"Uh… What?" My jaw drops in confusion. The governor-general… The leader of all the fallen angels… Owes us!? We're supposed to be enemies, right? Wait, that isn't important right now. "How does the doc fit into this?" I ask, never taking my eyes off the fallen angel.
Buer clears his throat. "Now is not the time for that, but I am no traitor to my people if that is what you are wondering."
Yeah… I'm going to press 'X' to doubt. "Whatever… So, what is the Grigori going to do to help us then?"
Dohnaseek takes his hands out of his pockets, and moves behind the desk, and puts a large case on top of it. "You want payback against Phenex, right? We can help with that."
"What's in that?" My voice becomes shaky as I stare at the case.
The fallen angel opens the case to reveal a plethora of items. "ASGs. Or, better known as Artificial Sacred Gears."
I open my mouth, then close it, before opening it again. "Artificial? I have a lot more questions, but now is not the time for a lore dump."
"Good, because time is not on your side," Buer remarks. "Now, let's finish this up. You have a party to get to."
"Oh, and before I forget. There is one last thing, kid." Dohnaseek draws my attention to him. "The governor-general has one little caveat to giving you these weapons."
I furrow my brow at that. "What is that?"
The fallen angel lifts his hat up with a smug look. "He will come to you one day; with an offer, you can't refuse. When he does, you'll have to listen to what he has to say."
Why do I feel like I'm in the godfather? "And that is it?" When the fallen angel nods, I let out a sigh. "I don't have any other options, fine you have a deal."
Four and a half painful hours later, and I am finally back in my hospital room. I found Asia waiting, with a bundle of clothing and a tray filled to the brim with food. "Magnus, you're back! A nurse told you they took you in for a procedure; what is in that case?" The blonde asks as Buer pushes me into the room, and with a curt nod, he leaves, shutting the door behind him.
Growling hungrily, I shakily set the case on the ground. "I'll explain in a minute… First… Food."
"Oh, right! I'm sorry!" Asia pushes the tray of food toward me, and without hesitation, I dive into the meal. In between eating, I explained the situation to Asia. "Wh-What!? The Grigori? Are you sure that is a good idea? What if they are just trying to kill you?" On and on she went until she was blue in the face. Some of the things she mentioned were quite funny and downright impossible.
All and all, I think she took the situation rather well.
"Asia, if they wanted to do… Anything you listed, there are easier ways to do it." I don't blame her for not trusting the Grigori, hell I still don't fully trust them. But I didn't have many options if I wanted to get Rias back. Which is why I accepted the deal. Finishing up the food rather quickly, I motion for Asia to help me with the clothing.
"True… Still, if all they did was give you weapons, why did it take so long?" Asia asks as she helps me get dressed, her face completely flushed. Smacking my lips nervously, I tell her, which shocked the girl completely. "Magnus that is… Amazing and… Scary…"
I nod as my left arm is placed in a sling. "Yeah, it is… Hopefully, I won't need to use it. Now, let's get-" The door to my hospital room opens up, the nurse from earlier stood there.
"I'm sorry to interrupt Mister Maverick, but you have a visitor. He says he knows you."
As my visitor walks into the room, my jaw drops in complete shock. My visitor is taller than Asia but shorter than me. He has short spikey brown-hair, with two short locks sticking out from behind his head. He has dark brown eyes. He has on blue jeans, white sneakers, a red t-shirt, and a black jacket. "Issei!?"
Issei Hyoudou. Someone, I never thought I would consider a friend; the guy is a pervert of the highest order. The first time we met, I kept him and two of his friends from being killed by the female kendo team at our school. And after that… We didn't become friends for a while, but eventually, we did by hanging out. However, he moved away after Halloween. His dad got a job overseas, and that was the last I heard from him.
Until now.
"Hey, Magnus." The brown-haired boy smiles at me. "Long time no see."
"I… What…? How…? Why? I have so many questions!?" Slapping my face with my free hand, I shake my head with a huff. "Issei… It is great to see you again, and I really want to know what's up with you being here… But we have to go. Asia, come on." Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the teleportation circle Grayfia gave me.
Asia nods and moves to stand next to me, the metal case in her hands. "Ri-right. Um, it was nice seeing you again."
I raise an eyebrow at the girl but shake my head as I channel my demonic power into the paper. "Questions for later."
"Wait, a minute-" Issei says as the circle's glow encompasses us all.
"-Where are we?"
I put the circle back in my pocket with a groan, and when I could see again, I look around with a small frown. It looked like we were in an elaborate dining room, and when I say elaborate… I mean, this looked like a room you would find in the Palace of Versailles. On the wall is a large, gilded portrait of a crimson-haired man and a flaxen-haired woman that looked a lot like Rias. "If I had to guess… The Gremory residence." I point at the portrait.
"Oh, that makes sense-Wait why are we here!?"Issei tries to shout, but I cover his mouth with my hand.
"Shut up, man." I hiss angrily. "Do you want the guards-" Do they even have guards here? I would assume so, but you never know. Still, I don't want to risk it. "-To find us? Listen, Asia and I are planning on getting Rias out of here. And you have been accidentally drawn into this. So, you can either help or stay here quietly."
As I move my hand away from his mouth, Issei furrows his brow in thought before nodding. "I'll help."
"Oh, thank you, Issei-san." Asia smiles.
Issei flushes at Asia's words and rubs the back of his head. "N-No problem, and just call me Ise. So how are you going to rescue Gremory-sama?"
"I have a plan, Asia can you put the case on the table." As the silver case is placed on the table, I open it up and show the contents to Issei. "These will help us." Inside the metal, container is various weapons, a sheath, holsters, and pieces of paper. Each of the weapons looked like something out of a Final Fantasy/Sci-Fi crossover game. The ASGs could fold in on themselves, which is why they could fit inside the case easily.
"Whoa… Where did you get these?" Issei asks with wide eyes.
Asia and I share a look, and I shake my head. "They were… A gift from someone that wished to help us." It wouldn't be a good idea to tell him the truth. "Asia, will you help me?" Reaching inside the container, I pull out a single edge blade with an ornate looking hilt. The weapon resembled a type of sword called a Messer, though the design was a bit on the flashier side. Including a weird switch on the hilt, along with a trigger.
"Of course." The blonde quickly found a sheath for the sword, and putting it on my back, I gesture for everyone else to pick from the weapons. Asia surprisingly went for a silver war hammer, and after a few test swings, the former Sister looks at me. "I can't fight like you, Koneko or Kiba, and my magical attacks aren't as strong as Akeno or Rias. So, I'll use this."
Weirdly enough… That hammer suits her. "No judgment here, but isn't that thing heavy?"
"No. It's really light." The bishop cheerful says.
Huh, neat. You learn something new every day. "Okay, Issei, you're up."
"I'm good. I got this." The Pervert Trio's former member extends his right arm as a marron bracer appears, along with a double-edged straight sword. The sword reminded me of Dawnbreaker from Skyrim. Except instead of a gold blade, the weapon is copper with an intricate dragon etched into the blade. The orb of light looked like it had a living creature made of fire inside.
"Is that a Sacred Gear?" I stare at the weapon in shock.
Issei grins as he places the weapon on his shoulder with a nod. "This is Firebrand. It contains the soul of Zhulong the Torch Dragon."
"That is amazing!" Asia smiles happily.
"R-really?" He asks, scratching his cheek with a blush.
I fought the urge to growl down-Where did that come from? Think about it later. "Okay, so you have a weapon. Which means… Asia, do you want any of the other weapons then?"
"Oh… Umm… No, thank you." The girl shakes her head.
I nod and pull the last two weapons out, a pair of M1911 pistols with a fantasy flair. I only recognized the gun because my grandfather had one when he was alive. With some help, I get both guns holstered where I could reach. Our little group quickly went over what the weapons could do and how to use them properly; we hid the case and crept carefully out of the room. Looking around, the three of us crept into an empty hallway.
As we made our way through the hall, I motion for Asia to move closer. "Do you know how to contact someone with magic?"
"Yes?" She asked, not understanding the question.
"Contact the others. Tell them to be ready to fight." The girl nods and begins to call the others via a magical circle. "Issei, can you contact your fellow peerage members?" I am not sure who his master, or where they stand, but hey wouldn't hurt to have some backup.
"I can try, but I'm not sure my master will agree to help." He mumbles with a weird expression.
"Try anyway. Asia, any luck?"
Asia nods her head. "I could only get Koneko, but she would tell Kiba and the others."
"Good." Before I could Issei if he had any success on his end, we ran into a spot of trouble. Namely, a group of five women in armor, bearing the symbol of the house of Phenex.
"So do you think Lord Riser will tear down this gaudy-Wait who are you three!?" As the guards dropped into fighting stances, I grab the hilt of my sword, but before I could draw it, Issei rushes forward and slashes all five of the women.
"Dress Break!" In a flash of light, the clothing the guards wore exploded off their bodies and onto the floor in a thousand pieces. As the women screamed and Issei laughed joyously, a pair of hands cover my eyes. The screaming soon ended, and my sight was returned; the guards were seemingly unconscious with some drapery covering their bodies.
"What the hell was that!?" I shout at Issei in shock and disgust.
The perverted teen who was grinning from ear to ear turns to me with a 'v' sign. "That was my Dress Break, strips the clothing off of women. It was the first technique I ever developed as a devil, but I don't get to use it often… My master won't let me." He grumbles angrily. "But she isn't here now! So I can use it all I want!"
Asia shakes her head in disgust. "I can't believe you are a pervert."
Issei looks a little crestfallen at her words but quickly shakes it off. "I-"
"Not the time or place." I grunt in annoyance. "Oh… Don't use that technique again, please? If you have something else, use that." Not bothering to wait for an answer, I press onward with Asia following quickly behind. Issei catches up to me, and as he does, I turn to the teen. "Though, thank you for taking care of the guards."
"Uh… No problem." He says, rubbing the back of his head.
The three of us stalked down the hall, heading hopefully in the right direction. I really should have asked Grayfia for directions.
"Do you know which way we're going?" Issei asks.
"Nope, but there is no sense in being late." I quote in a Southern drawl.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Three guards appeared suddenly; this group had the symbol of the house of Gremory on their armor. Luckily, this group wasn't entirely women.
I slap my face with a groan. "Here we go again-"
"Wait!" Asia moves in front of Issei and me with her arms spread out. "We don't need to fight. I'm the Bishop of Rias Gremory, and this is her Pawn." The blonde gestures to me and then at Issei. "He is a friend."
One of the armored men lowers their guard. "Yes, I recognize you both from the Rating Game, but what are you doing here? And armed to the teeth?"
"Would you believe me if I said these are presents for the future bride?" When the guards shake their heads, I grab the hilt of my sword. "We're here to rescue Rias; please don't get in our way."
The one that spoke stares at his fellow guards, and they nod. "We will not stand in your way."
"As far as we're concerned, you're here for the engagement party." The female guard shrugs with a friendly smile.
I let go of my sword with a small smile. "You're not wrong."
"Oh, how do we find the party?" Asia asks in confusion.
"Keep going down this hall, and you'll find the ballroom behind a large pair of double doors. Oh, and be careful; some of the Phenex family's guards will be down there." As we thanked the trio, our group ran down the hall.
"Hey, kid!" I turn to look at the female guard, and when I do, her mouth splits into a wide smirk. "When you see Lord Riser, give that arrogant bastard a punch for all of us! No one makes our lady cry!"
I couldn't help but smile and wave. "You got it!" It didn't take us long to find the double doors, and sure enough, five guards are loitering. All of them were from the Phenex clan, and much to Issei's disappointment, they were all men. "Issei, you get the two on the left, Asia, and will handle the three on the right."
"Got it!"
Issei moves to face off against his opponents as Asia, and I did the same. Drawing the sword from my back, I swing the weapon in a wide arc, striking two of the guards. Smacking them into the wall. Asia clumsily hits her opponent, sending the guard flying into the double doors, forcing them open. Sheathing my sword, I stride into the ballroom with my friends following alongside me. Looking around at the guests' shocked expressions, I lock eyes with the one person in the room that mattered at this moment.
Rias.
Reaching into my jacket, I pull out one of my guns, and I aim at Riser. "Round two!" As I pull the trigger, the bullet sails straight into the devil's chest. Knocking him off his feet and onto the ground. Holstering the firearm, I draw my sword and rush forward, with Asia and Issei close on my heels. Meeting my charge head-on is two of Riser's peerage, Karlamine, and Siris.
"How dare you interfere with-" Karlamine starts to say, but she was cut off as a wall of swords appeared in between us.
"I got this; you get the president." Kiba summons a sword and goes on the attack.
"Got it!" Maneuvering around the wall of swords and dueling knights, I found my way blocked, by Isabela the phantom road warrior, and the cosplayer Xuelan. Crap. Me without my holy hand grenades. "I don't have time to play with you two jokers-Correction. Twelve jokers." The rest of Riser's peerage (minus Ravel, who just watched from nearby) surrounded me. Hells Bells. "Ddraig, can I use it yet?"
Yes, but save it for later.
I grip the hilt of the sword and look around with a grim look before I could draw my weapon as several bolts of lightning strikes the women. As they screamed in pain, I let go of the sword and did my best to escape the encirclement. The bolts of lightning ended rather quickly, so I shoulder tackled one of the women dressed like a maid. As she fell to the floor, I jump over her body and make a mad dash for Rias. By this time, Riser was back on his feet, and he didn't look happy. Well, I did shoot him. Speaking of… I pull the gun-free and fired again, Riser ready for the attack, dodged.
"Who do you think you are, boy?" He shouts as his fiery wings appear. As he jumped into the air, I fired several more shots, each one missing. Riser tried charging me but was struck from behind by a lance of black energy.
"I won't let you hurt him again, Riser." Rias apparently shook herself out of her stupor and is now on the offensive. I'm happy to see that Red got her fire back. As the two high-class devils traded blows, I pulled the trigger of my gun; this time, my shots found purchase in Riser's back. Riser cries out in pain, and as he tries to attack me, he is stopped once more by Rias. The blonde noble looked between us both, a furious look on his face. He couldn't decide who should have his undivided attention.
Frankly, it didn't matter. Because pretty soon, this whole thing will be over; I just need to get over to Rias and call the others… Then we are out of here.
"I think that is enough." Moving in front of the barrel of my gun is a wall of muscle, disguised as a person. The guy in front of me is six foot three with wild dark hair and violet eyes. He had on a black suit that looked too small for him. Now he wasn't like a bodybuilder or those guys on muscle magazines. He just had a lot of muscle. Kind of like Christian Bale in the first Batman film. He looked to be close to my age, maybe a little older. What's weird is he seems like he is related to Rias.
"Sorry, but you don't get to decide that." Holstering my gun, I draw my sword and point it at the living mountain. "Move or be moved."
A savage grin appears on the man's face, and he cracks his knuckles. "I was hoping you'd say that."
Jumping back, I prepared to attack but stopped as a wave of… What I only can describe as pure and absolute power poured throughout the entire ballroom. All the fighting abruptly ended. No, it was more like we all were frozen in place… What the hell was that? The ominous sound of footsteps echoed throughout the room.
"I am sorry for interrupting everyone's fun, but I didn't think that the entertainment I prepared would get this far out of hand."
Moving into view is a man in his twenties, with medium-length crimson red-hair, blue-green eyes a… Dare I say it? Devil may care smile. He wore a white suit with a long purple cape, with a black and gold breastplate, matching shoulder pads. Following behind the man is Grayfia… This guy has to be Sirzechs. The Devil King and the older brother of Rias Gremory. If he wasn't, I would eat my new coat. As the devil Lucifer walked toward his sister, the atmosphere in the room changed from one of violence and hostility to stunned silence.
"Hello Rias, you look lovely," Sirzechs comments with a smile.
Rias stares at her older sibling in shock. "Brother?"
Many more voices followed after that, each one whispering various things.
"The Devil King is here?"
"It is his sister's engagement party."
"What did he mean by entertainment?"
"Did his majesty invite the pawn here?"
On and on it went….
"Sairaorg, would you mind stepping aside?" Sirzechs turned his attention to the mountain of muscle in front of me. "Magnus, please come up here."
The now named devil nods. "Of course, cousin. Too bad Maverick, I really wanted to fight you."
"Uh… Okay?" I raise an eyebrow at Sairaorg's grin as I joined the devil king.
Riser, by this time, had dismissed his wings and landed on the ground. "Your majesty, what did you mean by entertainment? Did you bring this… Pawn here?" Riser practically spat the word pawn.
"I did." Sirzechs shoots me a glance before focusing on Riser. "Quite frankly, Riser, your showing in the game was underwhelming. My sister lacks your experience, and yet despite your considerable larger force. She nearly beat you."
Riser grits his teeth. "It is the final result that counts, your majesty."
"In the past, yes." The Devil King holds up his hand. "The games aren't what they used to be. Besides, you nearly were brought to your knees by a first-time competitor. I can't imagine your family is proud of that, or the way you behaved."
I can't believe it… Sirzechs is putting Riser in his place… In front of all the nobles here. Okay, I officially like this guy.
"Which is why I believe you should have a second chance."
Wait what?
Sirzechs spreads his arm out to the rest of the room. "Besides, we don't have a celebration like this every day. I believe this party could use some flare. You there." The crimson-haired devil turns to me with a friendly smile. "There are many that are interested in your power, Red Dragon Emperor. Myself included. Would you be kind enough to show us the power of a dragon?"
"I see… You want us to fight." Riser says with a sadistic grin. "An excellent idea, my lord."
"Magnus, don't, please…" Rias's eyes filled with fear and worry.
"If you accept and win, I will grant you a reward." The ballroom gasps loudly at that…. Is that a big deal?
"You can't be serious!?"
"A low-class devil?"
Grayfia shoots the crowd a look. "Your king has spoken, or would you dare challenge him?"
Dead silence.
"Low class or not, he will have his prize. I am the one that has asked him to fight, so I must compensate him for his trouble." Sirzechs has a knowing look on his face. "Tell me, what would you like as your prize? A title? A woman of great beauty? Power? If it is within my ability to grant, you shall have it."
"I came here for one thing, and you know what it is."
Sirzechs simply raises an eyebrow. "Say it out loud."
Taking in a breath, I point at Rias with a determined expression. "I came here for Rias Gremory." Wait, why is everyone gasping?
An hour, I had one hour to wait as the field was created for Riser and me to fight. So, what did I do in the meantime? I prepared for my fight by coming up with a plan of attack. As I did, my friends came and offered their encouragement.
"Are you an idiot?"
"Do you want to die!?"
"Even you can't be this dumb."
I have such loving friends.
"Excuse me, but may I speak to Magnus, alone?" Akeno asks after Kiba, Koneko, and Asia were done berating me. My fellow peerage members look confused, but they agree. As the three of them left the room, Koneko shoves something into my hands, a small smirk on her features. "Were you able to speak with Rias?"
"No. They wouldn't let us talk. They're afraid I'll try to run off with her." Which is true. Looking at the object, my eyes widen. Oh, this will really help with my plan.
The black-haired girl slowly nods. "That does make sense. Magnus, may I ask you a question?"
"Sure." I nod as I went over my strategy once more.
"Why did you come back?"
I look at Akeno, who has a confused expression on her face. "Why? Because I l-care about Rias, and I didn't want her to go through with something that would ruin her life. Hell, if anyone I knew was in danger or needed help, I would come for them. Kiba, Asia, Koneko, Issei, Rias, and that includes you too."
Akeno steps back as if struck. "I…"
"If I did something insensitive or something, I'm sorry." I stand up and move toward the older girl, but she stops me with a shake of her head.
"No, you didn't." Akeno shakily says. "I… I need to go, but good luck Magnus." The older girl turns around and walks toward the door. "Would you really save me?"
"Of course, every time." Without another word, Akeno leaves the room, leaving me confused. "What was that about?" I shake my head with a grunt, no time to think about that. I need to finalize my battle plan.
The hour came and went as Riser and I were transported to the chosen battleground. Since this was considered a duel, and because I technically challenged Riser… I got to choose the battlefield. Which really helped me. To make it better, Riser let me keep my weapons; his arrogance will literally be his downfall. Hopefully.
As the game field appeared around us, I breathed out a sigh of relief. It may not be real, but it's still good to see.
I'm back in Los Angeles.
To be specific, downtown Los Angeles, near Pershing Square. If I wanted to be exact on my location, I am on Flower Street near a parking garage. Riser is maybe five hundred feet away from me. The high-class devil looked around in disgust as he tried to figure out why I chose this place as a battleground.
[I believe it is time we got started] Sirzechs voice echoes throughout the city. [The duel will have no time limit and will go on until one of the combatants surrender or can no longer fight. The pawn of Rias Gremory has been given permission to promote himself for the duration. If neither side has any questions, you may begin.] A bell rings, signaling the start of the duel.
"Come and fight Riser if you dare." Riser flies straight into the air, a fiery aura around his body.
Drawing my sword, I slowly start to walk toward my opponent. "Promotion Knight!" Riser summons up his demonic power and begins to lob fireballs at me. Flicking the switch on the sword to the left, I pull the trigger as the blade becomes engulfed in a shadowy aura. "Promotion Rook!" Swinging the sword like a baseball bat, I swat the fiery projectiles back at Riser.
"What!?" The devil dismisses his attack in shock. "Where did you get that weapon-"
"-None of your business!" Flicking the switch of the sword to the right, I pull the trigger and jump toward Riser. The sword's blade changed from metal to one of light; swinging the sword in a wide arc, I hit the noble so hard he crashes into a Dunkin' Donuts. As I land on the ground, I return my sword to its standard-setting and put it away. "Promotion Knight!" Without any more delays, I take off toward the Jewelry District. "Come on, Riser, can't you do any better than that!"
The collapsed donut shop explodes, and rising from the fiery vortex is Riser. And he looks pissed.
Good.
"You hurt Riser…. Again! How did you get a sword of light!?"
"Fuck you, that's how!" Drawing my pistol, I start shooting.
I really hate this guy's regeneration abilities! I really just want to end this fight, but… No. Stick to the plan, Magnus. "Come on, you fiery peacock! Let's play a game of hide and seek! Promotion Rook!" Spinning around, I kick a nearby fire hydrant causing a gusher of water to burst out. Holstering my gun, I stick my hand in the water. "Promotion Bishop!" Pouring my demonic power into the miny geyser, I superheat the water creating a makeshift smoke screen. Well, mist screen, but the point stands.
"You think this will help you, Maverick!? The Phenex clan controls wind as well as fire!"
As hurricane-force winds surround Riser, I start to grin. "Promotion Knight!"
(Third Person POV: Spectators)
"How did he get a sword of light?" Kiba asks in shock as he watches his friend manhandle the sword. "No, a better question is how did that sword switch from dark to light?"
Koneko crosses her arms with a grunt as she turns toward a certain blonde girl. "I want to know where he got these guns and that hammer Asia used."
"I… Um…" Asia fidgets nervously at the stares. "… I can't say?"
"I was kind of curious about that as well, Argento-san." Issei cups his chin in thought. "You had them at the hospital."
As the others gave the ex-nun the third degree, Rias kept her eyes glued on the fight. Riser blew away the makeshift cover Magnus made for himself, but the bronze-haired idiot couldn't be found anywhere. "Magnus… Please be careful…"
"He's doing quite well," Sirzechs comments with a neutral expression. "What do you think, Grayfia?"
The maid who had been quietly observing the fight simply nods. "He still has a long way to go, though."
[Where are you, Maverick!? Are you too much of a coward to face me!?] Riser looks around angrily for his target, but there was no sign of him.
[A coward? Nope.] Riser's body jerks violently as several bullets strike his side. [I'm just using my head.] The unseen camera moves toward the sound of Magnus's voice, revealing that the bronze-haired teen hid in a nearby parking structure.
(First Person POV: Magnus)
"There you are!" Riser roars as he tackles me and then slams me against one of the support pillars. Gasping for air, I try to break free, but I had no luck. "Riser cannot believe you tried to fight him." Raising his fist, the noble punches me. "You barely stood a chance last time, and you had two arms then. What makes you think you could against Riser with one?"
I start to cough as I tried to laugh. "You're right… I can't fight you with one arm-" Riser had a satisfied smirk on his face begins to frown. "-Which means… I should stop holding back." The bandages around my left arm catch fire, and with a tug, I pull my arm free, and I punch the noble in the throat. As Riser gasped for air, I drew my sword, switched it to its Light mode, and slashed the devil across the chest.
"Agh!" Crying out in pain, Riser stumbles backward. "What… How did you…-" Riser looks at my arm in shock. "-It's-"
(Third Person POV: Spectators)
"-A dragon's arm." The spectators say in shock. Magnus's left arm is covered in red scales, and his fingers now ended in sharp claws. Across his arm are massive cracks revealing
"How is that possible?" Asia asks.
"Sacred Gear users that have legendary creatures sealed inside can surrender their body parts to that creature. Granting them power, but in return, that body part will no longer be the same." Issei crosses his arms with a sigh. "Zhulong told me that." The brown-haired teen quickly explains.
(First Person POV: Magnus)
"What did you do?" Riser stares at my arm in shock.
Holding up my arm with a smirk, I bring my sword down in an overhead slash. "I did what was necessary." Rolling out of the way, Riser launches a gout of flame at me. Jumping out of the way, I reach into my jacket and pull out the 'gift' Koneko gave me. "Hey, I forgot to give you an engagement present! Promotion Rook!" I toss the last of the grenades I made at Riser and watch with satisfaction as it explodes. "Hope you like it because you can't return it! Promotion Knight!"
Time to get the hell out of dodge. Running as fast as I can, I escape from the parking garage, but Riser was right on my heels. Crap. Spinning around, I pull out my second gun and take a few shots at my pursuer. Not even bothering to dodge, Riser creates a shield of fire around himself and crashes into me. Crying out in pain, I quickly switch to the Rook promotion to help alleviate the pain of the fire and the asphalt/concrete digging into my back.
Riser Snatches the gun from my hand and tosses it away; raising his foot, he stomps on my left out.
"Ah!" My mind blanked as he stomped on my arm. Not again…
"Riser understands now. Your arm is not fully healed, which means…" He steps on my arm again, forcing another scream from my lips. "Ahahaha. Wonderful, scream pawn!" Again and again, he stepped on my arm. "Before Riser finishes you off, any last words?"
Taking in a deep breath, I breathe out a tongue of flame striking the devil in the face, forcing him off of me. Painfully I get to my feet and switch to the Knight promotion; I take off down an alleyway without a word. "Ddraig… Is… Is he…Worn down enough?"
Just about, get him to waste another big attack, and you'll have him.
"Got it." Gripping my left arm tightly, I grit my teeth with a snarl. "Come on, Maverick… Pull yourself together." Running out of the alleyway, I wave and shout. "You want me, Riser, well I'm right here." Don't get close, don't get close, don't get close…
Riser's arm shook in fury as he fired off a fireball. "Die!"
"Now?"
"Now!"
"Balance Break!"
"Welsh Dragon: Balance Breaker!"
(Third Person POV: Spectators)
"So the Red Dragon Emperor has truly awakened," Sirzechs whispers to himself in shock as red plate/scale, dragon armor forms around the bronze-haired teen.
[What is that!?] Riser practically screams.
[The armor of the Red Dragon. Let's finish. Promotion Queen!]
[Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!]
Flying forward, Magnus surrounded himself in a red aura as he crashes into the high born devil. Both combatants flew toward a small public park and crashed into a belltower. As the debris and dust vanished, the Red Dragon Emperor tossed Riser through a stone sphere and into the fountain.
[This fight will be over in ten seconds.] Flying straight up, Magnus summons a red orb of power and tosses it at Riser. Avoiding the attack, Riser flies straight up, only to be knocked into the water again by Magnus. [Ten!] Landing in the water, the Sacred Gear user spins around and kicks Riser in the stomach.
"Nine." Asia whispers, watching the two fighters traded blows; Riser fought aggressively as he targeted Magnus's left arm.
"Eight." Kiba says as his friend fought smartly by kicking, dodging, and using magical attacks.
"Seven." Koneko did her best to keep her ears from twitching as a small smile appears on her face. Magnus caught the older man's arm and tosses him onto his back.
"Six." Issei grins excitedly, pumping his fist into the air, as the fighters took off into the air.
"Five." Akeno's face flushes, watching the fight. 'He would come for me? He really would… Do… I…'
"Four." Grayfia bows her head, hiding the pleased look on her face. Magnus wrapped his arms around Riser's neck and tosses him into the broken fountain.
Sirzechs, while happy, couldn't help but wonder where Magnus got his weapons. They seemed like something developed by the Grigori, and if those weapons did come from them, it would mean… Well, things are a lot more interesting than he thought. "Three."
Rias's eyes widen as Magnus's left arm begins to glow with a golden light as he flies toward Riser. "Two…"
[One/One!]
(First Person POV: Magnus)
Slamming my fist into Riser's face, I watch in satisfaction as he crumbles beneath my attack. Dismissing my armor with an exhausted grunt, I bend down and lift Riser up by his collar. "Tell me something, Riser… Do you remember what you said about deaths were considered accidents? Tell me, do you still believe that?" My left hand still glowing with the power of light, I hold it in front of his face.
"Wait, please… Don't do this…" He whimpers in fear.
"Mercy is for the weak." I pull my left hand back with a glare. "We do not train to be merciful here. A man face you; he is enemy. Enemy deserves no mercy." Riser continues to beg and plead as I let out a roar and punch…
…. Stopping just a few inches from his face. Dismissing my power of light and the Boosted Gear, I pinch Riser's nose. A worn-out grin on my face. "Honk." Dropping the noble into the water, I turn around and start to walk away. As I did, Ravel appears in front of me, a confused look on her face.
"You could have killed him, right from the beginning?" She asks as I walk past her. "I'm grateful you didn't kill my brother, but… Why didn't you? He would have if your positions were reversed."
I stop and face the only daughter of the Phenex family. "Ravel, I could tell you I did this for lots of reasons. I could say that I am not a killer or didn't want to continue a cycle of violence or hate. I could say something wise or profound that would make you think I'm a lot deeper than I actually am." With a haggard huff, I shake my head. "But I am not going to say any of those things, though they all apply in some form."
"Then… Why didn't you?" She asks, tentatively taking a step toward me.
"I didn't kill him because he isn't worth remembering." Closing my eyes angrily, I let out a sigh. "I've seen too much death since I became a devil Ravel." Mine, Viser the stray devil, whoever she killed, that old couple murdered by Freed… Asia… "And I am not stupid. I know that I'll most likely see more, and maybe… I may have to kill someone myself one day, and when I do… I will never forget it."
Ravel nods thoughtfully. "I see…"
"So… At the end of the day, I am not going to kill him. Because he isn't worth remembering." Whipping my mouth, I watch as the copy of Pershing Square crumbles and falls apart until nothing remained. Leaving me to stand on nothing but air…. "Oh,… Crap!". As I fell to the ground, I watch as Ravel carries her brother off. "Hey, what about-Oof!" Grunting at the sudden stop, I look at my rescuer with a smile. "Hey, Koneko." Oh, she's holding me bridal style. "You know, people may talk if you keep holding me this way."
"Shut it." She says without the usual harshness.
Kiba floats next to the small girl with a smile. "If he can still make jokes, then I guess he is okay."
"You did it!" Asia cries happily as she flies straight toward us.
Hovering a few feet away is Akeno with flushed cheeks and a contemplative expression. "Good job."
"Thanks-Hey where is Rias-Oh come on!" I shout as Koneko, with an amused look, drops me. I didn't free fall for long as a familiar crimson-haired beauty catches me. "Hey, Rias."
"Magnus… You saved me… Thank you." With tears in her eyes, the older girl holds me close as we fly toward the ground. As we land on the ground, with the rest of our group, we are met by an older man. He has long crimson-red hair tied in a loose ponytail, light blue eyes, and a goatee. He is dressed in a white suit with gold accents. He is a little taller than Rias and me; all around him are guards from the Gremory family… Wait, those are the guards I met earlier!
"Rias."
"Dad." Well, that explains that. "Magnus, this is my father. Zeoticus Gremory."
I look at the older devil and bow my head in greeting. "Not the way I wanted to meet, but it's nice to meet you, sir. Hey guys, good to see you again." I greet the guards with a friendly smile, who return the greeting.
"You as well." Zeoticus puts his hands in his pockets.
"I would like to stay and chat, but… I'm in a lot of pain and would like to go take a nap." With some help, I walk past Rias's father. "Oh and sir…" Stopping for a moment, I turn around and glare at the older devil. "Sirzechs promise to me… You better uphold it."
"Magnus," Rias says in a low voice, her face beat red.
Zeoticus chuckles with an easygoing smile. "You have nothing to worry about."
"Good." We continue walking past the Gremory family's head; we made our way to a large garden where a group of people was waiting to greet us. Among them is that Sairaorg guy, several other people I didn't recognize, and Sona. Who was the first to greet us. "Hey, Madam Prez."
"Hello, Maverick." The older girl smiles and bows her head.
"Uhh… You smiled… At me… Oh god, am I dying?" I ask with wide eyes. "You never smile at me."
The Sitri heiress snorts and places a hand on my shoulder. "It won't be a common occurrence, trust me. Thank you for helping my best friend."
"No problem." I grunt exhaustedly before looking around for someone. "Hey, where is Issei?"
"He and his master have already left, I'm afraid." Rias tells me as she uses her demonic power to clean me up. Oh… I kind of wanted to see him again and thank him. "He did leave you a message, though. He said he would call as soon as he could."
"Cool."
"How about we go home?" Rias suggests holding up a piece of paper, and in a flash of magical light, an enormous griffin appears.
Eyes widening, I look up at the beast excitedly. "A griffin!? Where did you get one? He even has a saddle…. Please tell me we can keep it?" As everyone starts to laugh at my reaction.
"I'm sorry, Magnus, but this is my brother's familiar. He is only letting us borrow it." Rias slowly crosses her arms with a shy look.
"Since you're the hero of the hour, I say you should ride with Rias." Kiba suggests.
"Wait, really?" I ask with wide eyes.
Rias's cheeks turn red. "Unless you don't want to."
"Wh-No, I mean yes… I… I would love to." I mumble, my face heating up. I climb onto the griffin with some help, and once I was seated, Rias joins me, sitting side-saddle, her arms wrapped around my neck. Holding onto the reigns, I say goodbye to the others. "I'll see you guys back in Kuoh."
"Maverick," Sairaorg calls out with a wide smile. "Let's fight the next time we meet."
Snorting good-naturedly, I shake my head and pull on the reigns. "Sure, why not?" The griffin spreads his wings and takes off. It circled the estate three times before flying higher into the sky. As it did, my mouth drops in amazement. Everything up here is so beautiful, and the stars… There are so many of them, and I don't recognize any of them. I wonder if the Underworld-I stop my musing as Rias gently touches my face. "You okay?"
"Silly boy, I should be asking at." My master trails her hand down to my scaled left arm. "You gave up your arm just for me… "
"You were worth it," I tell her with a smile. "If I had to, I would have given up more—my right arm, my eyes, skin, whatever it took. I am your pawn, but I didn't rescue you because of that. You're my friend as well, and I… Well, I… I really like-" I was cut off as the crimson-haired beauty grabs my face and starts to kiss me. Fireworks. Fireworks went off in my mind as my heart began to skip several beats. Time seemed to have stopped as we melted into one another, and that is when I became aware of how thin her dress was. I could feel her heart beating just as fast as mine.
Rias pulls away, leaving us both breathless and flushed. "That… Was my first kiss."
"I…" That was her first kiss!? Holy hell… That was, without a doubt, the best kiss of my life. "I hope it was good."
"Well, since it was my first, I have nothing to compare it to." Coyly the older girl presses herself against me once more. "I did like it, though." Without hesitation, she begins to kiss me again. After a heated make-out session, Rias rests her head on my chest with a content sigh. Staring down at Rias, I couldn't help but feel happy. She was my Crimson-Haired Princess of Ruin, and I will always fight for her.
(Epilogue)
"Um… Rias, not that it isn't good to see you, but why is there a mountain of packages behind?" I ask in confusion.
My devil master smiles and turns her head cutely, with her arms behind her back. "As of today, we will be living together."
Asia and I look at the red-head in confusion. "Wait, what?" We both say, trying to wrap our heads around what we just heard.
"Unless it's a problem-"
I shake my head with a blush. "Umm… No, it isn't just…" How am I going to explain this to my parents? Oh crap, I still haven't spoken to them… In a long, long time. I really need to call them soon.
"Great. Would you mind helping me move my things in then?"
Why do I feel like my life has become even more complicated?
"How is your arm doing today, Magnus?" Kiba asks as we walk to the club room.
I grunt in annoyance as I did my best not to rip off the bandages. "I went through an entire bottle of aspirin… Again. Even with Asia healing the damage, the overflow of power is just undoing whatever she does. Thus causing me more pain." I hope that Asia, Rias, and Akeno come up with a proper treatment plan. "On top of that, I can't keep wearing these bandages forever." Luckily, everyone bought the excuse that I accidentally burnt my arm. Well, everyone except for Aika. She really doesn't believe it…
"Why don't you use illusion magic?"
I grimace at that. "First thing we tried. Again the problem is an overflow of power; it interferes with the illusion." Walking into the old school building, up the stairs, and into the club room, I saw that the others were already here. And they looked… Well, Koneko looked amused, Asia flustered, Rias seemed… I don't know, but she wasn't happy. And Akeno… Well, she has a neutral expression. "Hey everyone, what's up?"
Akeno clears her throat and gestures to my arm. "I believe I found a solution to your problem."
"Really? That's awesome! So how do we do this?"
Akeno smiles as she licks her lips. "I am so glad you asked."
Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to enjoy this?
(Third Person POV: Somewhere in the Underworld)
"That was an exciting match. Azazel comments with a wry smile.
"Indeed it was Governor-General, but it is now time for you to get back to work-" The Vice Governor-General starts to say, but stops as his boss stands up and walks away from his desk. "-Where are you going?"
"I think I'm going to go on vacation; I hear Kuoh Town is nice this time of year." Azazel grins as he leaves the room, with the white-haired fallen angel following behind.
Careful not to alert the older men to his presence, a silver-haired figure walks toward the computer. Quickly typing a few keys, the figure re-winds the footage toward the Red Dragon Emperor.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it... Magnus."
I bet you thought this was the end huh? No it was not! I have let's just say... A... Present for you all! It's a small entry for the ASG's in this chapter!
Asia's Hammer: Also known as the Force Hammer, this weapon collects kinetic energy every time it is swung. And when used to hit an enemy they are sent flying! Current status: Intact and with user.
Magnus's guns: Also known as the Magic guns, these pistols use the users own magical power (Or demonic power) as the source of their ammunition. Current status: Destroyed in Magnus's fight with Riser.
Magnus's sword: Also known as the Sword of In-Between, a weapon that can use the properties of both darkness and light. Current status: Destroyed in Magnus's fight with Riser.
Power of Light: An ASG that grants the user the power over light. This ASG was surgically implanted into Magnus's left arm, by Doctor Buer. (Hence why his little meeting took four and a half hours).
Anyway I hope you all have a Merry Christmas/Holidays and a Happy New Year! Stay safe everyone!